Major League Baseball has taken an unprecedented step in the Biogenesis of America investigation, paying a former employee of the South Florida anti-aging clinic linked to performance-enhancing drugs for documents on athletes named in the case, the New York Times reported Thursday night.

The move, according to the newspaper, came after at least one player linked to the clinic bought documents from a former employee there in order to destroy them. The Times, citing two unidentified people ...

An interesting analysis of signing ages, signing bonuses, and success rates in the Dominican Republic, by Melissa Segura of Sports Illustrated ...

Teams pay premiums for 16-year-olds for two primary reasons: One, because teams often want to be the first to sign a promising player and, thus, avoid bidding wars with other teams; and two, clubs prefer to develop their players’ skills under the watchful eyes of their own club personnel rather than under those of unqualified and unaffiliated ...

Pretty great story. 

“Craig is part of our family,” Donnelly says.

It’s a family that lost a precious member far too soon, but has become spiritually strengthened by an event in 1997 that still, to this day, overwhelms those who hear about it. It’s a story that, as Counsell himself says, “screams Disney movie.”

“Anybody I’ve ever told the story to ... they’re blown away,” Counsell says. “You can bring people to tears just by telling the story.”

* * * * *

The story begins with five words ...

Bartolo Colon has agreed to a deal with an unknown club reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). The right-hander wouldn’t divulge the team because he has not yet passed his physical.

Pretty sure it’s either the All-Stars or the Champs.

Are we sure this wasn’t just Animal Services seeing this?

The Miami Marlins really wanted left-handed pitcher Mark Buehrle.

But a member of his family isn’t welcome in Miami-Dade County.

Eighteen-month-old Slater Buehrle is an American Staffordshire Terrier — a type of pit bull — and keeping one is illegal in Miami-Dade…

Buehrle, 32, said that “if it came down to not finding a house’’ where all his canines could live, he might not have signed with the Marlins, “but I knew ...

System In 20 Words Or Less: The system finds some depth and star power in Yelich, but there is still an overall lack of elite-level talent.

Five-Star Prospects
1. Christian Yelich, OF
Four-Star Prospects
2. Jose Fernandez, RHP
Three-Star Prospects
3. Marcell Ozuna, OF
4. J.T. Realmuto, C
5. Chad James, LHP
6. Matt Dominguez, 3B
7. Jesus Solorzano, OF
8. Jose Ceda, RHP
9. Jose Urena, RHP
10. Rob Rasmussen, LHP
11. Noah Perio, 2B

Nine More:
12. Austin Brice, RHP: Big, athletic righty with well ...

Florida Marlins - Acquired P Carlos Zambrano and $15 million from the Chicago Cubs for P Chris Volstad

This is a deal that I understand from the Cubs point of view even if it is one I don’t think I would have made. The Cubs don’t figure to be very good (to put it mildly) in 2012 and the odds are against Zambrano making a substantial on-field contribution. He’d also likely become the focus of the fans discontent (assuming he was to pitch and be an expensive mediocrity) and there’s every reason ...

What could possibly go wrong?

The Marlins, seeking to make another offseason splash, are close to acquiring Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano, according to major-league sources.
...
Zambrano is owed $18 million in the final year of his contract. The Cubs likely will pay most of that sum to purge Big Z, whom they placed on the restricted list in 2010 and disqualified list in ’11 due to issues with his temperament.

“I have spoken with Guillen,’’ Ramirez said. “What we want is to win with the Marlins. We will see what’s going to happen with the position switch and everything else. If it’s third base, OK. Wherever they put me to win, I will do so.’’ ...

The two Dominicans are friendly, although Reyes recently said he hadn’t heard from his fellow All-Star since signing.

“Between Reyes and me there is no problem,’’ Ramirez said. “I respect him very much. He is a great ...

I suppose it would be a little garish.

Officially, the Marlins have not put the kibosh on the Mermaids or Manatees for the 2012 season, but it doesn’t appear either group will call the new ballpark home. According to the Miami New Times, the troupes will not be asked to return…

The Facebook page Save the Manatees supports the New Times report that the all-male, plus-sized dancers are done…

The often skimpily-clad Mermaids have been around since 2003 and have become a noteworthy component of ...

Weeki Wachee your freakin’ head!

This is part of an MLB.com/Marlins.com exclusive series with team president David Samson, chronicling the progress and developments of the new retractable-roof stadium that is opening in 2012.

...Last Friday, two 450-gallon fish tanks were installed inside the wall behind the home-plate wall. They are positioned on the first- and third-base sides, and currently they are not filled with water.

The fish will be protected by shatter-proof glass, and the team has ...

1) Christian Yelich, OF, Grade B+: Pure hitter with decent power, surprising speed, ex-first baseman adapted well to outfield defense. Class of the system. Grade might go higher if he resolves problems against left-handed pitching.

2) Marcell Ozuna, OF, Grade B: Some risk here with plate discipline issues, but power/speed upside is excellent and he made progress last year with contact. Good throwing arm and range as well.

3) Jose Fernandez, RHP, Grade B: Highest-upside arm in the system, ...

This week’s Boston Globe Sunday baseball column.

He told me once, he told me twice.
I don’t take no executive’s advice.
Move it on over…

Ramirez clearly is having trouble accepting the position switch — Beinfest admitted “it may take a little bit of time for him to get comfortable” with the idea.

Asked if he is confident Ramirez wants to be with the Marlins next season, Beinfest said, “I’ll keep it internal. The one thing I know is he wants to win. He’s a very proud guy. We want him here.”

The Marlins have said repeatedly ...

EVERYBODY INTO THE TIM POOL!

The numbers are staggering. Jose Reyes, $106 million. Mark Buehrle, $58 million. Heath Bell, $27 million. A reported $10 million for manager Ozzie Guillen, who according to rough sabermetric consensus is worth, at most, an extra three wins a season. Oh, and don’t forget a $200 million offer to Albert Pujols, the prize pony of this year’s free agent class.

To say that the notoriously parsimonious Miami Marlins—what if Scrooge McDuck owned a baseball team, and also ...

But wait… what if you built it and STILL no one came? I guess you’d better have some tradable players…

Exactly how those fans will get to the seats is a another matter. With the season just a few months away, the stadium’s transportation plan remains noticeably incomplete. Most fans will drive: roughly 5,000 garage spaces are intended for season ticketholders, and another 4,000 or so offsite spots will be available nearby. Still parking alone can’t fill the 37,000-seat stadium, and the team ...

A hero, but he’s no Nomar.

‘I pulled out of the entrance (of his neighborhood) and I saw this car upside down and smoking. I kind of saw a hand pulling at the window,’’ he said.

“I looked at my wife and my wife’s like, ‘Go help! Just go!’’

Buck ran to the overturned car and went to work with two other Good Samaritans.

Buck and a bus driver who stopped to give assistance were able to help the car’s driver crawl out of a window of the upside-down car. Buck and another man ...

The Cyberdine System is go!

Mark Buehrle might not be a part of the White Sox anymore, but if you ask Mark, the White Sox will forever be a part of him.

“I think I’ll always be a Chicago White Sox no matter what happens from here on out,” Buehrle said Sunday in an interview with Comcast SportsNet. “I kind of told some people, I said, ‘It’s just a 4-year break. I’ll be back before you know it.’ Maybe I’ll be playing, maybe just bugging people in the clubhouse, just coming ...

The Pujols’ negotiation was not based on infatuation but on negotiation. The Angels’ offer appealed to Pujols and his agent, Dan Lozano, because it was decidedly better than any other he received.

At the beginning of last week’s winter meetings, the newly-named and housed Miami Marlins made a big splash, offering a 10-year deal. But it reportedly included enough deferred money to reduce the present-day value of the package significantly, and the Marlins declined Pujols’ request for a ...

The big concern for anyone signing Prince is that he will age like his father.

There has been some talk of Boras trying to get Fielder signed to a three or four year contract, so that Prince gets another bite at the free agency apple. That strategy, I would think, would work best for teams and Prince’s long-term earnings. Of course, who knows what silly offer could already be on the table? I am just glad the Red Sox already have Adrian Gonzalez.

The Marlins thought Pujols might agree on Monday, knowing their offer blew away the Cardinals’ deal. Maybe it would have happened. But another team stepped in and ruined Miami’s plans. The team, which refuses to be publicly identified, offered Pujols a 10-year, $225 million deal. Pujols was intrigued. If he didn’t return to St. Louis, this team might be the perfect fit.

Then on Tuesday the Cardinals offered Pujols a contract potentially worth $210 million but for nine years, with a 10th-year ...

Reckless: Vital Sound 1: Featuring a battle of sorts between Los Angeles & Miami.

On the other hand, this may be the day that saved the Cardinals, the one on which they avoided the sort of albatross – or, as it shall be called, the Albertross – that can hamper a franchise for years. Sort of like A-Rod’s current deal, which he signed at age 32. Before Rodriguez signed this contract, he averaged 154 games per season and hit .306/.389/.578. His numbers have dipped significantly since, and ...

Miami Marlins reliever Leo Nunez was arrested Thursday in his native Dominican Republic but then quickly released, with authorities saying he will not face charges stemming from an investigation into his use of false documents to sign a professional baseball contract.

The pitcher, whose real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo, was arrested outside the U.S. Consulate in Santo Domingo, where he had been trying to get a new visa under his real name so he could return to the United States. He was booked ...

Mr. Lazear, for the good of the universe, please return Gray’s Sports Almanac to Dr. Brown.  Thank you.

With $191MM committed to Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Heath Bell, Marlins fans can’t complain about their offseason so far.  Only one of the 5,020 entrants in MLBTR’s free agent prediction contest, Matthew Lazear, correctly guessed in November that the Marlins would sign all three.  However, it’s interesting to note that the Marlins also made the highest bids on top free agents Albert Pujols ...

I don’t buy the Red Sox as the mystery team. Two teams that make sense to me are the Orioles and the Mariners. I can see Dan Duquette working to get a huge Hall-of-Fame bat for his team (see Manny Ramirez). The Mariners are reportedly in on Fielder. If they are willing to put the money up for Fielder, I can’t see why they wouldn’t be negotiating with Pujols.

If Stark’s hunch is right — that this mystery team can only sign Pujols with a deal in place to move its first baseman — then Boston ...